Author(s)

Lorena Mori, Rosa Perales, Jorge Rodríguez, Carlos Shiva, Ysabel Koga, Geraldine Choquehuanca, Cesar Palacios

Bioservice SRL, Lima, Peru.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, San Marcos National University, Lima, Peru.
Veterinary and Zootechnic Faculty, Cayetano Heredia University, Lima, Peru.

Isolation and biochemical and molecular identification of 303 strains of Escherichia coli obtained from diarrheic and healthy young alpacas of Puno-Peru, were realized. PCR amplification for 7 virulence factor genes associated with STEC, STEC O157:H7, EPEC: sxt1, sxt2, rfbO157, fliCH7, hlyA, eae y bfp were determined. A total of 39 strains (12.88%) showed amplification for one or more of these genes. Twenty three strains (59%) were classified as STEC and 16 strains (41%) as EPEC. An 88.18% (34/39) of STEC and EPEC strains were obtained from healthy alpacas and only 11.82% (5/39) from diarrheic alpacas considering this specie as potential zoonotic reservoir of STEC and EPEC.

Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia coli, Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Diarrhea, Young Alpacas

Mori, L. , Perales, R. , Rodríguez, J. , Shiva, C. , Koga, Y. , Choquehuanca, G. and Palacios, C. (2014) Molecular Identification of Shiga-Toxin Producing and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (STEC and EPEC) in Diarrheic and Healthy Young Alpacas. Advances in Microbiology, 4, 360-364. doi: 10.4236/aim.2014.47043.